They torched synagogues. Vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses. They murdered and arrested Jews simply for being Jewish.

The anniversary of Kristallnacht, considered the first main event of the Holocaust, comes as the Jewish community is once again in mourning — this time after an armed man opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were killed in what is being described as the the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history.

“What happened in Pittsburgh was a tremendous shock for us and for everyone in the community,” said Rabbi Mendy Kaminker, co-director of the Chabad of Hackensack. “We were horrified.”

That’s why Kaminker rethought an event that was planned by his Chabad.

The local community center on Monday will welcome Rabbi Yitzchak Mendel Wagner, one of the first rabbis ordained in Germany after the Holocaust, to speak about life in the country eight decades after Kristallnacht. The lecture will begin with a memorial service for those killed in Pittsburgh, as the country continues to grieve.

To Kaminker, the reflection of Kristallnacht and the days since Pittsburgh both point to a theme of resilience in the Jewish community.

“On one hand, you have a rabbi who is going to speak about the tragedies that happened many, many years ago and how the community was so resilient and came back together and is flourishing,” Kaminker said. “We’re thinking [now] about the same thing — how despite this anti-Semitic attack, we’re not going to give up. We’re not going to be deterred, and we are going to flourish.”

Kaminker described the past week as a time of both mourning and coming together. He said strangers have approached him on Hackensack streets to condemn the Pittsburgh attack. One man told him: “We are looking after our Jewish neighbor. What happened in Pittsburgh was unacceptable, and we are not going to tolerate anything like that.”

The attack in Pittsburgh has forced local leaders to grapple with questions of security in houses of worship and set off a wave of mourning across the country. Over the weekend, Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, put out a call to action for supporters to attend a Solidarity Shabbat.

Jason Shames, the federation’s chief executive and executive vice president, said that coming together in the wake of the tragedy in Pittsburgh sends a strong message.

“We’re going to double down, and one of the ways to fight back is by taking part in Jewish things like Sabbath,” Shames said. The Pittsburgh tragedy “is still so new and so raw. We’re still in mourning, but we’re working towards the planning phase and what to do next.”

The Jewish community has come a long way since Kristallnacht. Shames said the violence 80 years ago was much different from the tragedy in Pittsburgh. During Kristallnacht, leaders encouraged the attacks on Jews, and those in power turned a blind eye to it, he explained. In Pittsburgh, the shooting was carried out by one armed man, and leaders swiftly came together to condemn the anti-Semitic attack.

“There is a heightened sense of concern of individuals and certain organizations who do wish to commit hate and violence against us,” Shames said. “That’s what we fear.”

The Jewish community will carry on, as it always has, local Jewish leaders said.

The federation will push forward with its community-oriented events. The federation's Israel Film Festival runs through Nov. 18, and the group has training planned with its teen leaders, who will be taught about pro-Jewish and anti-Semitic groups on campuses, Shames said. However, he said there are hard conversations that need to be had in coming weeks, including: Besides increasing security, how can online rhetoric that was spewed by the shooter in Pittsburgh be monitored or contained?

“The hardest part of this will be monitoring the people on social media,” Shames said. “That is where people are getting inspiration and finding like-minded individuals.”

The Chabad of Hackensack, which opened in April, will proceed with its lecture reflecting on Kristallnacht. It will continue to work to bring the local Jewish community together as it mourns the Pittsburgh tragedy, Kaminker said.

"We have to be honest and recognize that many people have some fears because of what happened [in Pittsburgh], and the community is frightened and in shock by such an event," Kaminker said. "At the same time, we are the most resilient people in the world."

The Hackensack lecture, being held at 280 Summit Ave., begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday and is free. Donations are accepted. To RSVP, visit ChabadHackensack.com/together

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Carol Grosser was one of hundreds who gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who are injured, after the mass shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who are injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and pray for those who are injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Michael and Dina Gluck, of Westwood, were two of hundreds who gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Some people gasped after learning that one of the people who were shot and killed in Pittsburgh was a 97 year-old who had survived the Holocaust. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Rabbi Arthur Weiner addresses hundreds who gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives as well as those who remain injured after the mass shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

Hundreds gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Paramus to remember those who lost their lives and those who remain injured after the shooting in Pittsburgh. Sunday, October 28, 2018 Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com